Thanksgiving: A dangerous weekend for drivers

The United States death rate spikes on Thanksgiving, which should concern you if you plan to travel this holiday season as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 40 percent of passengers killed in traffic accidents on Thanksgiving were involved in crashes that were caused by or that involved drunk drivers. Over half of the people killed weren't wearing their seat belts.

Thanksgiving is one of the most dangerous times of the year to drive because of the heavy use of alcohol during the holiday and following weekend. What can you do to make sure you and your family stay safe? Practice safe drinking techniques.

If you decide to drink with dinner and have to drive home, limit your intake or make sure to give yourself enough time after the last drink to sober up before you go home. Even better, stay the night at the host's home, so you don't drive when you're intoxicated.

If staying with the host isn't an option and you can't wait any longer to leave, consider calling a taxi or ride share service. It's not as convenient to have to come back to the host's home to collect your vehicle, but it is much safer than driving while intoxicated. Additionally, you won't have to worry about getting a DUI or getting into a serious accident.

In the event that you're driving home while taking these precautions and are hit by a drunk driver, know that you have a right to make a claim. You did your best to be safe, and dangerous drivers need to be held responsible.

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